Well, even though it's Christmas Day, there seem to considerable numbers looking at this forum from time to time today and finding no new postings on it since RayRapp's posting about Kennedy v Cordia yesterday evening. Therefore, I'll have a go at ending the dearth of new postings with this new thread.

In view of the occupational focus of this forum it seems pertinent to note that while most people are enjoying a break during the current festive period some people will be working. Instances of crime, emergencies and ill-health, for example, never cease so public service workers such as police officers, fire fighters, ambulance crews and hospital staff will be on duty as ever. Sadly, some of those workers will be dealing with people who have over-indulged with food and/or alcohol. Other workers include those who protect and/or rescue such as coastguards, radar operators and vehicle breakdown agents. Also, while most people are warm and dry indoors, a significant number of those working are doing so outside and sometimes in adverse conditions. They include those working on planned projects which need to be completed within set 'time windows' such as railway repair/maintenance schemes.

Furthermore, others who anticipated enjoying a break may well be required to do unscheduled but vital work in response to adverse situations such as floods and storm damage. The threat of yet more torrential rain for areas like Cumbria heralds further misery, major disruption and loss for those who have already suffered from flooding in recent weeks. Thankfully, it seems that numerous service workers and volunteers will be available, as before, to do what they can to help those who are affected.

Best wishes

Graham B

p.s. On another though minor note, I guess that most people were either unaware of or paid little heed to the fact that the Winter Solstice occurred earlier this week - on Tuesday 22nd December to be precise. Although it's unlikely to have much effect on the generally dismal weather conditions we've been experiencing in the UK, it marked a return to increasing hours of daylight until next Midsummer's Day. In the UK that means an average of 2 extra minutes of daylight every day - imperceptible on a daily basis but bringing a noticeable and welcome change over several weeks. Also, to anyone who happens to be reading this in the Southern Hemisphere (are there any?), I'd better offer commiserations as you will be starting a converse experience with your daylight hours! :-)

Belated apologies about my initial posting for:

a) having overlooked the vast numbers of people in the retail and distributive sectors who got little or possibly no break from work over the Christmas period considering that many shops and stores seemed to be closed only on Christmas Day itself and re-opened on Boxing Day. Various outlets opened early on Boxing Day to admit a tide of shoppers keen to snap up post-Christmas sale bargains, so presumably their staff arrived notably earlier to carry out necessary work such as re-labelling items with their sale prices, etc. Also, the rise of online shopping has led to a corresponding rise in the number of large warehouse/distribution centres plus expanding fleets of distribution/delivery vehicles. The vehicles and their drivers may be visible to the public, but the considerable numbers of lowly paid employees in the centres are "invisible" and, according to TV documentaries, have to carry out highly repetitive work at frenetic speed.

b) inadequate proof-reading before hitting the send button: Part of the first sentence ought to have read "....there seem to be considerable numbers looking at this forum...."

Also, though I mentioned that pre-Christmas media reports heralded further flooding for parts of Cumbria, the volume and extent of flooding which occurred in various other parts of Northern England over the past several days seemed to have been both unprecedented and unheralded.